The Avalanche began a three-game homestand Thursday against Florida and featured the same 11-forward, seven-defensemen look it used during its recent four-game road trip. Coach Jared Bednar had just two set lines and the other five forwards rotated in based on the coach’s feel, same as the extra defenseman.
Normally, teams go with 12 forwards and six defensemen. Bednar was partly sticking with the nontraditional lineup because rookie center Alex Kerfoot missed his second consecutive game with a foot injury and winger Nail Yakupov wasn’t 100 percent after battling an illness.
Kerfoot, who is tied for third on the team in scoring with 21 points (nine goals), inadvertently took a shot off the foot from teammate Erik Johnson in Monday’s 2-1 win at Pittsburgh.